Dispensing device for floor machines



June 7, 1966 J. J. GRANT DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FLOOR MACHINES Filed Aug. 18, 1964 INVENTOR. JAMES J. GRANT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,254,804 DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FLOOR MACHINES James J. Grant, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to Power Units, Inc., Gladwyne, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 390,297 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-185) This invention relates to dispensing means adapted to be attached to conventional floor cleaning and waxing machines.

An object of the invention is to provide readily attachable means for floor waxing machines, said means being adapted to removably retain an aerosol container filled with a floor-cleaning and waxing composition and additional means being provided to actuate the valve means of the aerosol container for ejecting the composition in controlled amounts when the floor machine is in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adhe'sively attachable holding means for the aerosol container, said holding means being attachable to the working head of the floor machine supported on a floor to be cleaned and waxed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a twopart holding means for an aerosol container which is attachable to the working head of a conventional floor machine by means of a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive holder which can be readily attached to household floor waxing machines, said holder being adapted to removably retain an aerosol container filled with a floor cleaning and waxing composition, and manually controlled actuating means for actuating the valve of the aerosol container to effect the cleaning and waxing composition as needed when the floor machine is being used.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is an elevational side view of a conventional household floor polishing or waxing machine having attached to its working head a holder for removably retaining an aerosol container,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the holder and retaining means therefor,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the holder,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the holder.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a conventional electric floor waxing machine, designated generally by numeral 10, is provided with motor propelled rotary brushes 11 and a handle 12. A holder 20 retains a disposable aerosol container 40 which is provided with a depressible valve stem 41 for controlling the ejection of a pressurized aerosol stream 40a of cleaning and waxing composition there from when the valve stem 41 is actuated by movable pivoted lever 30. Lever 30 is actuated by pulling on a flexible cord or wire 14 attached to lever 30.

Details of the holder 20 for the aerosol container will be apparent from FIGURES 2 to 5. The holder 20 is adapted 'to be frictionally and removably retained on a retaining bracket 35 shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 which may be formed of plastic, metal and the like. The bracket comprises a flat rectangular base portion 35 which is provided on one face thereof with a raised integral retaining plate 35a having opposed flange portions 36a and 36b which form a combined T-shaped retaining member. A relatively thin layer 38 of compressible material, such as sponge rubber, polyurethane and the like, is attached to the rear faceof plate 35 by a suitable adhesive 37. A layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive 39 is applied to the exposed surface of the compressible layer 38. The

'plate 35 is adapted to be attached'by means of the adhesive layer 39 to the forward portion of the working head of the floor waxing machine as shown in FIGURE 1. A peelable protective cover sheet may be applied to the adhesive layer 39 so that the retaining bracket maybe shipped and supplied separately for manual attachment to any avail-able floor waxing machines. The layer of compressible material 38 facilitates attachment of the plate 35 to any irregularities in the surface of the working head of the waxing machine to which the bracket may be attached.

The holder 20 is preferably formed from plastic material and comprises a vertically extending semi-cylindrical body portion 21 which is open at its front portion, the circumference of the semi-cylindrical body portion being slightly greater than 180 as shown in FIGURE 5. The lower end of the semi-cylindrical body portion terminates in an outwardly inclined semi-cylindrical base portion 22. An internally extending rib portion 25 in provided at the lower end of the body portion 21 and a groove 26 is provided adjacent the upper face of the rib in the body 21 for receiving the bead 40a of the container 40. A support is thereby provided for a removable aerosol container 40 which is adapted to be positioned with the body portion 21 as shown in FIGURE 3. The free side portions 21a of the body portion are slightly expandable or flexible so as to permit easy insertion or removal of an aerosol container within the semi-cylindrical body portion 21.

The base portion 22 is provided at its rear medial portion with a pair of spaced L-shaped channels 23 and 24, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, which are adapted to slidably receive complemental spaced flanges 36a and 36b of the supporting bracket 35 which is retainedon the working head of the floor machine as previously described.

The base portion 22 is also provided internally with a bearing member 27 having side walls 27a having open bearing slots 27b for receiving pivot pin 33 which is carried by valve-actuating lever 30. Lever-30 is provided with a hole 31 for receiving one end of a coiled spring 32, the other end of the spring being attached to a string or cord 14 which passes through an opening 28 in the rib 25 and is of sufiicient length to extend to the upper end 1211 of handle 12 for the operator to manipulate. When cord 14 is pulled upwardly, lever 30 will be moved upwardly so as to bring its free end into contact with valve stem 41 of the aerosol container as shown in FIGURE 3. The spring 32 predetermines the amount of pressure which is applied to valve stem 41 so as to release an aerosol spray 40a from the container 40' which is directed on the floor being cleaned and/or waxed.

The aerosol container holder and supporting bracket as described provide a singleand inexpensive means for retaining an aerosol container on the working head of any conventional floor machine. The aerosol container is supplied with any suitable cleaning and/or waxing composition which can be sprayed by the operator as desired when the floor machine is in use. When the contents of the aerosol container are used up, it can be readily removed and replaced with a filled container. The supporting bracket and bolder can be supplied separately in disassembled condition and can be readily assembled and attached to the floor machine as previously described without requiring any tools.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device for attachment to a portable floor machine having a working head supported on a floor and a handle extending upwardly therefrom for manual container provided with valve means for controlling dispensing of pressurized contents from said aerosol container, said holder being provided at the lower end thereof with a rib portion extending inwardly of the holder for supporting the aerosol container and a groove adjacent said rib portion extending within the body of the holder for receiving the rim of the aerosol container, and a retaining bracket for removably supporting said holder, said holder being provided with externally positioned retaining means, said retaining bracket being affixed to the working head of the floor machine by means of pressure sensitive adhesive, said bracket being provided with locking means for engagement with said retaining means on the holder, and means carried by said holder for actuating the valve means of the aerosol container.

2. A dispensing device for attachment to a portable floor machine having a working head supported on a floor and a handle extending upwardly therefrom for manual movement of the floor machine, said dispensing device comprising a holder for removab-ly retaining an aerosol slidable retention in said locking channels, said retaining bracket being afiixed to the working head of the floor machine by means of pressure sensitive adhesive, and means carried by said holder for actuating the valve means of the aerosol container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/ 1962 Fisher 248-205 3/1964 Arndt et a1. 15-552 X RAPHAEL M. LU'PO, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE FOR ATTACHEMENT TO A PORTABLE FLOOR MACHINE HAVING A WORKING HEAD SUPPORTED ON A FLOOR AND A HANDLE EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM FOR MANUAL MOVEMENT OF THE FLOOR MACHINE, SAID DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLDER FOR REMOVABLY RETAINING AN AEROSOL CONTAINER PROVIDED WITH VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING DISPENSING OF PRESSURIZED CONTENTS FROM SAID AEROSOL CONTAINER, SAID HOLDER BEING PROVIDED AT THE LOWER END THEREOF WITH A RIB PORTION EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING THE AEROSOL CONTAINER AND A GROOVE ADJACENT SAID RIB PORTION EXTENDING WITHIN THE BODY OF THE HOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE RIM OF TH AEROSOL CONTAINER, AND A RETAINING BRACKET FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID HOLDER, SAID HOLDER BEING PROVIDED WITH EXTERNALLY POSITIONED RETAINING MEANS, SAID RETAINING BRACKET BEING AFFIXED TO THE WORKING HEAD OF THE FLOOR MACHINE BY MEANS OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE, SAID BRACKET BEING PROVIDED WITH LOCKING MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RETAINING MEANS ON THE HOLDER, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOLDER FOR ACTUATING THE VALVE MEANS OF THE AEROSOL COANTAINER. 